Necessity for legal frameworks and capacity

15 Jan 2017

International law and national constitutions confirm the central role of the State in respecting, protecting and fulfilling the right to health, including through the regulation of the health sector and services, and of other sectors which affect the social determinants of health. In this regard, an ‘enabling legal environment’ with appropriate legal frameworks are now acknowledged as an integral part to assuring the highest attainable standards of physical and mental health and social well-being.

HIV AND LAW

Between 2009 – 2016, IDLO worked to increase access to high-quality HIV-related legal and health care services for people living with HIV and key populations, and also strengthen the legal and policy environment for HIV prevention and treatment. This work has created cadres of attorneys, paralegals, judges, and community advocates who can now better utilize legal processes to protect human rights and improve health care access. Health care providers are now better informed about treating patients with dignity and respect and in accordance with human rights laws and policies. These efforts have served to develop communication networks and information dissemination systems that are sustainable and which have led to increased community mobilization in response to HIV.